Aerobic Exercise for Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis

August 27, 2026 updated by: Lindsey Wooliscroft, Oregon Health and Science University

Aerobic Exercise to Improve Mobility in Multiple Sclerosis: Optimizing Design and Execution for a Full-scale Multimodal Remyelination Clinical Trial

This is a clinical trial to determine the feasibility of a stationary aerobic cycling intervention and explore if aerobic exercise independently promotes remyelination in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic disabling neurologic condition of young adulthood, affecting more than 2.5 million people worldwide. Permanent disability in MS is caused by recurrent demyelination due to episodic inflammation, followed by neuronal damage, axonal degeneration, and progressive failure of remyelination. There is an urgent need to restore activity and participation in people with MS (pwMS), and remyelination is the most promising therapeutic strategy to accomplish this goal.

Remyelination in pwMS will likely require integration of pharmacologic and rehabilitative approaches to ensure effective remyelination of appropriate neural pathways. Aerobic exercise is an ideal complement to remyelinating medications because aerobic exercise 1) improves walking function in pwMS, and 2) promotes remyelination in animal models both independently and synergistically with medications. However, there are many unknowns that need to be addressed before aerobic exercise can be explored in multimodal clinical trials for remyelination. First, it is imperative to understand how myelination impacts disability in MS, as many other factors could contribute to reduced activity and participation. Additionally, as remyelination occurs over 12 to 24 weeks, it is imperative to establish the feasibility of similar duration of aerobic exercise interventions, and explore if exercise independently influences established remyelination outcomes before integration into multimodal strategies.

This is a randomized, single-blind, parallel clinical trial of a 24-week aerobic stationary cycling intervention to determine feasibility and explore if aerobic exercise independently promotes remyelination in pwMS.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Oregon
      • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239
        • Oregon Health & Science University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 64 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Physician-confirmed diagnosis of MS based on the 2017 McDonald criteria
  • 18-64 years old
  • Have access to the internet and a device that can access virtual visits
  • (Inclusion criteria to advance to clinical trial) Somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) latency z-score ≥2 for P40 or inter-side difference in z-score ≥2 for P40

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Medical or biophysical conditions that prohibit the use of a cycle ergometer or treadmill (medical readiness to be assessed by the Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q)) or achievement of target heart rate.
  • Engages in >30 minutes/week of aerobic activity regularly.
  • Clinically confirmed MS relapse in the last 3 months.
  • Changes in disease modifying therapy (DMT) for MS in the last 6 months.
  • Pregnant women.
  • Treatment with steroids for MS in the last 30 days.
  • Concurrent use of 4-aminopyridine or dalfampridine (medications which can alter SSEP) and unwilling to discontinue it for 2 days prior to SSEP testing.
  • Have a known history of severe spinal canal stenosis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: MS: Cycle

Twenty-two participants in the clinical trial arm will be randomized to MS:Cycle: an aerobic exercise intervention on a stationary ergometer. Participants will exercise thrice weekly for 30 minutes with graded supervision for 24 weeks.
Behavioral: Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise performed on a stationary ergometer for 30 minutes, thrice weekly, with graded supervision. Participants will participate in the intervention over 24 weeks.
Active Comparator: MS: Take Control

Twenty-two participants in the clinical trial arm will be randomized to MS: Take Control (MSTC): a monthly, hour-long MS education control group led by a trained facilitator.
Behavioral: Education Group Control

A monthly, hour-long, class over various MS topics and symptoms, led by a trained facilitator.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Somatosensory Evoked Potentials
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) are a measure of functional myelination of the somatosensory tracts (i.e., the time it takes for a sensory signal to travel from the limb to the cortex of the brain). Z-scores were calculated for each leg, adjusting for participant height. A Z-score measures how many standard deviations a specific data point is from the average (mean) of a dataset (where a Z-score of 0 represents the population mean). Averaged Z-scores of the cortical latencies of both legs (i.e., P40) were compared between baseline and week 24 (post-intervention). Z-scores increase with myelin damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). Those with an average Z-score of ≥2 were considered abnormal.
From baseline to week 24

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
6-Minute Timed Walk (6MTW)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

An assessment of exercise tolerance
From baseline to week 24
Timed Up and Go (TUG)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

A test of walking agility
From baseline to week 24
Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

A test of walking speed
From baseline to week 24
9 Hole Peg Test
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

A test of upper extremity and arm function. Average of both upper extremity times in seconds.
From baseline to week 24
Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) is an average of the Z-scores for three individual tests measuring walking speed, upper extremity function and cognition. A Z-score measures how many standard deviations a specific data point is from the average (mean) of a dataset (where a Z-score of 0 represents the population mean). Higher MSFC scores reflect increased multiple sclerosis disability.
From baseline to week 24
Virtual Aerobic Exercise Intervention Adherence
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

Defined as participation in at least 80% of the exercise sessions in the trial
From baseline to week 24
Virtual Education Control Group Adherence
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

Defined as participation in at least 80% of the education group sessions in the trial
From baseline to week 24
Average Minutes Spent at Goal Heart Rate (HR) During Exercise
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

Average number of minutes per session that MS: Cycle participants spent in their goal HR zone (>=70% HR max) during exercise sessions.
From baseline to week 24
Brain Myelin Water Fraction (MWF)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

MWF imaging of the corpus callosum, internal capsule, thalamus, and frontal white matter.
From baseline to week 24
Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is a test of cognitive function. The score reflects how many correct number-symbol pairings an individual can complete in 90 seconds. Higher scores represent better cognitive processing speed and executive function. Scores can range to 0 (i.e., no correct number-symbol pairings) to a theoretically infinite score.
From baseline to week 24
VO2 Max
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

A test of aerobic fitness
From baseline to week 24
Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

A patient reported outcome of fatigue severity with a range of 0-84 (higher scores indicate more fatigue).
From baseline to week 24
Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL)
Time Frame: From baseline to weeks 24

Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) questionnaires are patient-reported outcomes of upper and lower extremity function, depression, sleep, and self efficacy. The scores are based on T-scores which is a standardized score with a set mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. This scale is used to convert raw data into positive, comparable scores (e.g., T = z × 10 + 50). Increased symptom severity is reflected by lower Neuro-QoL Upper Extremity Function scores, lower Neuro-QoL Lower Extremity Function scores, higher Neuro-QoL Depression scores, higher Neuro-QoL Sleep scores, and lower Self Efficacy scores.
From baseline to weeks 24
International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 24

A patient reported outcome of physical activity reported as the calculated average Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) units per week.
From baseline to week 24

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
6-Minute Timed Walk (6MTW)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

An assessment of exercise tolerance
From baseline to week 12
Timed Up and Go (TUG)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

A test of walking agility
From baseline to week 12
Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

A test of walking speed
From baseline to week 12
9 Hole Peg Test
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

A test of upper extremity and arm function. Average of times for both upper extremities.
From baseline to week 12
Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) is an average of the Z-scores for three individual tests measuring walking speed, upper extremity function and cognition. A Z-score measures how many standard deviations a specific data point is from the average (mean) of a dataset (where a Z-score of 0 represents the population mean). Higher MSFC scores reflect increased multiple sclerosis disability.
From baseline to week 12
Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) test of cognitive function. The score reflects how many correct number-symbol pairings an individual can complete in 90 seconds. Higher scores represent better cognitive processing speed and executive function. Scores can range to 0 (i.e., no correct number-symbol pairings) to a theoretically infinite score.
From baseline to week 12
Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

A patient reported outcome of fatigue severity with a range of 0-84 (higher scores indicate more fatigue).
From baseline to week 12
Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEPs)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) are a measure of functional myelination of the somatosensory tracts (i.e., the time it takes for a sensory signal to travel from the limb to the cortex). Z-scores were calculated for each leg, adjusting for participant height. A Z-score measures how many standard deviations a specific data point is from the average (mean) of a dataset (where a Z-score of 0 represents the population mean). Averaged z-scores of the cortical latencies of both legs (i.e., P40) were compared between baseline and week 12 (post-intervention). Z-scores increase with myelin damage in multiple sclerosis. Those with an average Z-score of ≥2 were considered abnormal.
From baseline to week 12
Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL)
Time Frame: From baseline to weeks 12

Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) questionnaires are patient-reported outcomes of upper and lower extremity function, depression, sleep, and self efficacy. The scores are based on T-scores which is a standardized score with a set mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. This scale is used to convert raw data into positive, comparable scores (e.g., T = z × 10 + 50). Increased symptom severity is reflected by lower Neuro-QoL Upper Extremity Function scores, lower Neuro-QoL Lower Extremity Function scores, higher Neuro-QoL Depression scores, higher Neuro-QoL Sleep scores, and lower self efficacy scores.
From baseline to weeks 12
International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF)
Time Frame: From baseline to week 12

A patient reported outcome of physical activity reported as the calculated average Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) units per week.
From baseline to week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Oregon Health and Science University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
EMD Serono
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute
Portland VA Medical Center
Medical Research Foundation, Oregon
Myelin Repair Foundation

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Lindsey B Wooliscroft, MD, Oregon Health and Science University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 29, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 27, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 27, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 26, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 31, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 4, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY00021045
  • K23HD101667 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • UL1TR002369 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings